Apparatus for recovering shellac and the like



' TL w. fome. APPARMHS' FUR RECOVERIING SHELLAC AND THE LIKE.

APPLICAHON FILED MINE 2. ISI?.

Pd Feb. 15, 1921.

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UNITED S,I"A,`I`E`.`.iliV PAT'ENTSOEFICE.

THUMAB W. FOOTE, Gl' OIJEVELAND, OHIO, ASSIGNOB T0 TEE' MARBLE BHATTU'CK CHAIR COMPANY, UF BBLTENAHL, OHIO, A CORPORATION 0F OHIO.

Specification ot Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 15, 1921.

Application #led June 2, 1917. Serial No. 172,487.

To all wfwm it may concern:

Be it known that I, THoMAs W. Foo'rn, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Cleveland, county of Cuyahoga, and State of Ohio, have invented a new and use ful Improvement in Apparatus fo'r Recovering Shellac and the like of which the following is .a specification, the principle of the invention being herein explained and the best mode in which I have contemplated applying that principle, so as to istinguis it from other inventions.

The subject of the present invention is an apparatus for recovering solid matter, such as shellae or the like, from a volatile liquid, such as alcohol, which is the usual solvent of shellac. Means are provided for carryin the vapor toward a filter or screen which wi l cause the volatile constituents to evaporate, leavin the shellac or other substance behind, so t at it can be recovered and used ov'er again after being re-dissolved in a proper solvent. To the accomplishment of the foregoing and related ends, said invention, then, consists of the means hereinafter described and particularly pointed out in the claims.

The annexed drawings and the following description set forth in detail certain means and one mode of carryin out the invention, suchdisclosed means an mode illustrating, however, bastone of various ways in wh'c the principle o'f the invntionmay be used.

In said annexed drawings Figure 1 is l a vertical longitudinal section through m improved apparatus taken i 2 Fig.. 2 is a horizontal section taken on t e line 2&2, Fi .41; Fig. 3 is a vertical section taken on the dine 3-3 Fig. 1; and Fig. 4 is a view of a detail ci construction.

The present method of recovering solid matter, such as shellac from a volatile liquid such as alcohol, which is the usual. solvent employed, consists essentially of havin suction means for drawing the vapor or ellac spray against a baille vplate so as to break it up as much as possible and then to draw it through a screen, which hel s to evaporate the volatile constituent an to retain the shellac or solid matter thereon. Further means have been provided for furnishings. second screen to collect the articles which ass through the first screen efore exhaust- Jpg the vapor into the atmosphere.

` front of these screens is hun In the drawing is shown one improved form of apparatus for carrying out this method of recovering shellac or the like. In Flg. 1 is shown the usual room 1, in which a chair 2 or other article to be coated is sprayed withy shellac. This room, as illustrated, has a slidable, rotatable table 3, which is mounted on cross members 4 having hooks 5 formed on their ends, which engage over strips 6 mounted along the 'sides of the room. The seat or back of the chair as shown, is mounted on this rotatable table top. The room is provided at its rear with a funnelshaped portion 7 terminating in two exhaust conduits or pipes 8.

At the back of the room is mounted a screen or filter 9 composed of a wall having two screens 10 and 11 hinged therein and in a metal baille plate 12 which is provided wlth a trou h 13 at the bottom whereby the, liquid caug t on the plate can be conveyed to any convenient receptacle.

In the present device there is shown the funnel shaped rear of the room which leads to the two conduits or pi es 8 which are connected to asingleu ward yextendin pipe 14 leading to the roo or other place w ere the va or is to be exhausted. In these two conduits, fans 15 are mounted for causing the suction throu h th screen and these fans will be of su cien size to cause the vapor Y and shellac spray together with the air in the roomto be constant y exhausted toward the back of the room in order to keep the fumes away from the operator as well as to carry the shellac a'gainst the plate and through the screens. n l

At the top of the building or wherever the pipe 14 exhausts, a collectmg chamber has een provided which consists of a casin 17 having the usual ventilator top 18. ust below the to is mounted a. second screen 16. Within t e casing is the pipe 14 having a fiared end 19 which extends and meets the casing near the tog. Within this flared portion 19 is mounte a hollow conical pipe 20 which is seated in the part 19 by means of wings 25 which rest thereon. This conical pipe has a pivotally mounted bottom 21` which is held in its normal closed siton by a Weight 22. A rod or wire 23 is astened to the rear of the pivotal point and extends downwardly through the pipe so that the door may be opened by the operator in order to allow the shellac which has collected to drop down the pipe, where it will fall into two receptacles 24 which are mounted in the two con uits leading from the fans. This collecting chamber breaks up the current of air and shellac spray and causes the spray and air to eddy around just below the screen giving time for the alcohol or other volatile iquid to evaporateand letsome of the solid matter fall into the hollow pipe 20 before itgoes out throughthe screen 16 where more is collected.

The operation of the apparatus is simple and it will of course be understood that the operator uses a brush or a spray in order to cover the furniture with the dissolved shellac, and it is the va or and the shellac spray which does not adhere to the article bein covered which is drawn against the baille plate and through the screen by means of the fans mounted in the ducts. When the spray hits the baille plate it breaks it up and allows the alcohol'to evaporate faster so that when the small; particles reach the screen the alcohol will evaporate readily, allowing ther shellwc to be caught and retained by the jscreen. When the screens are full of the solid material they may be opened and shaken or mped in order to allow the shellac which ibas adhered to them to fall to the ioor or into a receptacle, which can conveniently be placed below them. A certain amount of vapor and s ray 'containing rshellac will ass through 51e screens an will be force up the pipe until it reaches the collecting chamber with the flaring tube 19 with the conical pipe 20 mounted therein.

When theu per screen has become clog d with shellac lilst it will be shaken and tzn the ivoted cover for the truncated fpipe will opened and jarred by metnso t e cord or wire so that all of the s .ellac collected will be dropped through the pipe and will slide down into the recep acles stationed below the two ducts.

It will be seen that the present method and apparatus for recovering the solid matter, such as shellac and the like is ve simple and lyet recovers a very substantial amount of t e shellac dust which is used so that the same may be rta-dissolved in alcohol or other suitable volatile solvent and used over again, thus saving a large pa'rt of the ex ense for the shellac. The greater part o the shellac is recovered before the mixed air and spray reaches the fans, which keeps them from becomin clo ed and this is an important feature o the,` evice.

Other modes of applying the principle of 4spray rom said room,

vbatile plate located meai latam my invention may be em loyed instead of the one explained, chan eheing made as regards the means and t e ste s herein disclosed providedthose stated by any one of the following claims or their equivalents be em loyee'. A

therefore particularly point out and dis tinctl claim as m invention:-

l. nap aratus or recovering shellac and the like t e combination with a room in which the shellac is being used, of an exhaust conduit leading from said room, suction means mounted in said conduit for drawing tleshelllac-laden air and shellafr spray from said room, a screen mounted in said conduit in front of said suction means if.

and fitted in an opening in said room, a baille plate located in said room in front of said ,screen adapted to break up and artially separate the shellac-laden liqui before passing to said screen, an enlarged collect- Ing chamber in said conduit beyond the suction means, and a second screen at the exhaust outlet of said collecting chamber to effect a final breaking u and separation of the remaining shellacaden 'liquid before exhausting from said conduit, and means in said collecting chamber to break up the curs rent of air and shellac spray and cause the same to eddy before exhausting through said second screen.

2. In ap aratus for recovering shellac and the like e combination with a roomin which th shellac is being used, of an exhaust conduit leadin from said'room, suction means mounte in said conduit for drawin the shellac-laden air and shellac a screen mounted in said conduit in front of said sudzion means, and fitted in an openin in said room, a e room in front of said screen adapted'to break up and partially separate the shellacdaden liquid be fore passing to said screen, an enlarged collecting chamber in said conduit beyond the suction means, a second cloth screen at the ou let ci* said collect' chamber to effect a. vnal -eakln u flii separation of the remaining `shel aceden liquid before exhausti'n from said conduit, a conical ipe mounted in a collecting chamber and a a ted to break up the current of air and shelllac spray and cause the same to eddy below and before passing through said .second screen, and means for removing the collected shellac clust from said chamber.'

Signed by me, this 24 day of May, 1917.

THOMAS w. FooTE. 

